Ceres Resident Arrested & 81 Firearms Seized Following Electronic Threats Investigation
Firearm Evidence | Photo courtesy of Modesto Police Department
MODESTO, CA — A month-long investigation by the Modesto Police Department into electronic threats directed at legal and law enforcement personnel concluded with the arrest of a 73-year-old Ceres resident and the confiscation of 81 firearms.
In July 2026, the department’s Violent Crimes Unit initiated an inquiry after a local professional received threatening emails sent from a fictitious account using a local attorney’s name. Detectives identified additional online statements containing broad threats targeting attorneys, judges, prosecutors, and police officers, eventually tracing the activity to Francis Joseph Haidar, 73.
Upon determining that Haidar possessed registered firearms, detectives secured a search warrant and a Gun Violence Restraining Order. On August 24, 2026, officers executed the warrant at Haidar’s Ceres home, seizing 81 firearms—including 15 designated as assault weapons under California law—two inert grenades, and digital evidence.
Police arrested Haidar and booked him into the Stanislaus County Jail on 15 felony counts of possessing an assault weapon.
Headline Photo: Stock Image
